Sustainability and Stakeholder Engagement in Building Information Modelling-Enabled Construction: A Review of Critical Success Factors in Design and Planning Phases

Maedeh Motalebi (), Emma Heffernan, Timothy McCarthy, Samin Marzban and Ali Rashidi ()
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Maedeh Motalebi: Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia
Emma Heffernan: School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
Timothy McCarthy: Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC), University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2500, Australia
Samin Marzban: School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
Ali Rashidi: Department of Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-38

Abstract: This scoping literature review examines critical success factors (CSFs) in the design and planning phases of BIM-enabled construction projects, focusing on integrating sustainability practices across the quadruple bottom line: profit, people, planet, and process. By introducing the novel ‘Process’ pillar, this study aims to bridge critical gaps in sustainability research, emphasising technology-driven practices and mapping 62 CSFs from 31 studies to specific stakeholder roles, and focuses on early project phases in which decisions have the most significant impact on long-term outcomes. The findings highlight how early-phase decisions, guided by the QBL framework, can optimise project outcomes and drive long-term sustainability through effective stakeholder engagement. Despite advancements, the design and planning phases of BIM-enabled construction projects consistently exhibit an underrepresentation of end users and environmental considerations. These omissions highlight inadequacies in stakeholder engagement, which are critical for achieving comprehensive sustainability and aligning project outcomes with user needs and environmental goals. This research maps CSFs to corresponding stakeholders, revealing a complex network with the BIM coordinator/manager playing a pivotal role. This mapping underscores the importance of integrating stakeholder inputs, particularly from end users, early in the project lifecycle to enhance functionality and ensure the long-term viability of construction projects. However, current practices often overlook this, leading to a potential misalignment between project deliverables and user expectations. The construction industry can move towards more sustainable, efficient, and user-focused outcomes by addressing these gaps. This study calls for a paradigm shift in BIM methodologies to adopt a construction environment that is not only efficient but also adaptable to the needs of its users and the environmental imperatives of today’s world.

Keywords: BIM-enabled construction projects; sustainability; quadruple bottom line; stakeholder engagement; project delivery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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